should i read 50 Shades of gray?

I downloaded the Audible version. Beside being utter rubbish, I didn't get beyond ten minutes because the young lady narrator's accent made your toe nails curl up. Whole host of advertising hype.

I downloaded the first chapter free as a kindle sample. Didn't finish that as I thought it was rubbish. Didn't download the rest!

Sorry, it's late, if Dickens knew that this was in the book shops.

I didn't get past the first page, it is so badly written. I am appalled it ever went into print, which it only did because of the sex. Are we a society that is so shallow? The likes of Dickens will be spinning knowing this is in book shops.

yes I thought it cringeworthy too and gave it to the charity shop along with the next one in the series that Id bought on offer.

The assistant in Waterstones thought I probably was too young to read it. Kept my mind pure.

I read it when it first came out and it was unmitigated rubbish, not worth the paper it was written on.

About three years ago, we stopped off at a WHSmith in Cornwall on our way to a funeral to buy new books. The bestsellers were ranked as normal, 1-20 - except 50 shades was in all top three places. I asked how that could be possible, and the manager said that the sheer quantity of sales was such that the numbers actually surpassed the volumes required to be in those places and the book should probably be in 4th place as well.

Not that I'm likely to read it, but perhaps the comments so far are the reason I see so many for sale at boot fairs.

Did they take the original GN parody down completely?

I read a very funny précis of it - that was sending it up - so thankfully there is no need to bother.

Some people are saying the story is nasty and sadistic and denigrating to women as well as other unpleasant things, yet some other people say it is a bit of fun.

I can cope with reading some bad writing if I enjoy the story but I don't want to cope with nasty / sadistic / denigrating, however good the writing may be, and I certainly wouldn't find that to be fun.

"just about" FFS and tired eyes!

Oh I so agree about Victoria Hislop. She judt avbout got away with it with The Island because the background was potentially so interesting, but The Return - oh dear!

Gillybob I find bad prose irritating in the extreme I find it hard to define it but I know when I read it .

"The Return" by Victoria Hislop is an example. I found it "clumsy" to read and it seemed to be in an Enid Blyton style.

I have heard that some writers are asked to dumb down their writing style to suit a particular market.

I don't think it was ever written to compete with the likes of Annie Proulx or Margaret Atwood absentgrandmaboth whom are wonderfully talented writers. It was meant as a bit of fun.

Save your time and read a book by the lovely Ann Tyler instead.

Now she can write!

Soutra has summed it up admirably in four short sentences.

I might excuse the fact that it reads like something dreamed up by a frustrated teenager in her bedroom, but what I can't excuse is the sheer denigration of women by a female writer who has obviously done it to rake in some big bucks at the expense of her own sex. She might have made a lot of dosh, but can she really look at her volume of work and feel proud about it? One things for sure ... Margaret Atwood or Annie Proux she ain't.

I haven't read it because it is such bad writing- I read two pages and put it back cringing. As for reading about sex- I'd rather be doing it than reading about it .

My OH bought it for me. He saw the cover and thought it was a thriller... I sat up in bed reading it one morning and said to him, 'you do realise you have bought me a light porn book, don't you?' He was horrified!

I did read to the end of that and the sequel because I wanted to see how they would resolve the issue. But yes, dreadfully written and as soon as she started to roll her eyes I automatically knew to skip ten pages.

As I was the first of my friends to read it, I was very interested to see which of them enjoyed it. Most enlightening.

It obviously wasn't ever meant to be a literary masterpiece or a Booker Prize nomination. Yes the writing's rubbish. But I have read it and did enjoy it (for what it was) erotic, cheap thrill, tosh.

I wouldn't bother BigGranny as the others have said its badly written rubbish.. I picked up a copy my daughter brought home and the first 3 pages were enough for me to consign it to the 'charity' box.

How old is your granddaughter, BigGranny?

Reasons not to bother
1)it's badly written tosh/crap
2)it's old hat badly written tosh/crap
3) the parodies (e.g.59 Sheds of Grey) are more amusing
4) it was a rubbish book and a rubbish film
4) all of the above extends to all the equally tasteless and formulaic spin offs.

All the rage ?? Whoever with?

I hate to say this but I would be horrified if not offended to receive a copy even as a joke.

Don't waste your time ! I read a few pages and switched to a well written book by an articulate author . It's puerile rubbish